The Conversations
in Science series brings together UW science researchers and Madison-area
science teachers. Designed to stimulate discussion between scientists
and science educators at all levels, these conversations connect
middle and high school classrooms with the University's cutting-edge
research. This concept is being expanded to establish conversations
about science between scientists and the community at large, including
families, non-science professionals, and civic, business, and
religious groups. The UW experience serves as a model for expanded
offerings involving scientists from other institutions with teachers
and members of communities across the state and nationwide.

Conversations
in Science for Teachersfocuses on a wide range of topics. Questions and ideas
are freely exchanged between expert and an audience of K-12
educators. This series began several years ago as Conversations
in Science for Madison science teachers. As this program has
grown, it has come to include all Dane County teachers.

CIS participant Ann Comins, chemistry teacher at Memorial High School in Madison, was awarded the
2013 Great Lakes Region Award for Excellence in High School Teaching "in recognition
of her outstanding contribution to the quality of chemical education in the Great Lakes Region"
at the ACS-GLRM. Here Bassam is presenting Ann with her award.

Conversations
on Creativity is a series that features
faculty members from arts, sciences and humanities, each discussing
how creativity is exemplified and operates within their discipline,
and all examining similarities and differences in how they express
creativity. It is a joint program of the Wisconsin Initiative
for Science Literacy, the Center for the Humanities, the Arts
Institute, and the Madison Public Library system.

The common theme
of the various Conversations series is that scientifically literate
faculty and other experts have a responsibility to share their
knowledge in ways that are understandable to the layperson and
thereby to promote the science literacy of others. In
the broadest sense, being science literate also means being
aware of the many connections between science and other disciplines.